


Monsters In My Head

by henriettebleau



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Horror, M/M, Mystery, Psychological
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:01:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21680614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/henriettebleau/pseuds/henriettebleau
Summary: Taiga knew there was something wrong with DaikiDaiki also knew, there was something wrong with Taiga
Relationships: Aomine Daiki/Kagami Taiga
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Introduction

Kagami Taiga found himself in the middle of a vast, golden field of wheat, dragging himself through a swollen ankle, often stumbling here and there.

His body got heavier and heavier, but he didn't stop, with sharp intakes of breath and hoarse panting exhales, he pushed through.

Taiga continued to lurch forward, never minding the stalks of wheat continuously hitting his already weakened body.

He ran, and ran, and never dared to even glance behind him, he needed to-

_"TAIGA!"_

He heard the familiar voice, he didn't want to look back, but he did, and he did it a second too slow, too weak.

Taiga saw Daiki's face and-

* * *

The door slammed shut as his mother stepped out of the room, louder than the sound of a rifle going off on its own inside his head. He felt nauseous as he continued to stare down at the floor, hands tightly gripping the hem of his dress shirt, trying his hardest not to bite his lower lip too harshly.

He didn't want to be in here.

This wasn't exactly what he needed.

"So Taiga, I heard from your mother that you've been dealing with a lot of stuff lately. One of them is that you find it hard to accept the death of your stepfather. Your mother's worried about you."

Taiga snorted at what he heard.

Dr. Hajime Mori looked up from his clipboard at his patient's reaction. He carefully studied the young man before him and was a bit taken aback by the intense hatred burning in his red eyes.

The doctor kept on taking notes.

Aside from that, Taiga remained silent the entire time as his eyes, every now and then, danced around the room.

Everything was white, almost. White walls, white ceiling, white curtains, white floor. The only color there was, was that ugly neon pink chairs they're sitting on and he hated it. He hated neon pink and he hated being inside this room.

"Is it okay if we start with your early childhood?"

Dr. Mori unconsciously tapped the clipboard with his pen as Taiga just stared emotionless at him.

The doctor sighed, it's going to be a long day.

Still patiently waiting for the young man to tell his story, the doctor briefly checked his file once again.

> **Patient Name:** Kagami Taiga
> 
> **Gender:** Male
> 
> **Age:** 18
> 
> **Background:**
> 
> ...

Grayish eyes widened as they read through his file before looking at Taiga from over the top of his thick black glasses.

Taiga took a deep breath, he spoke for the first and last time that session.

* * *

_Do you really want to know about me?_

Taiga had been born as a premature baby, too small, too weak, too sickly, too hungry for affection and attention from his mommy and daddy.

He didn't know much about his father. The only thing his young mind knew about his old man was that he was a very unpleasant man. He couldn't even remember his face even if he tried his very best to dig through the memories of time spent with him that would only equate to all the fingers of his left hand, or less.

The man didn't care that he had a child and it was then that Taiga decided he also didn't care that he had a father.

Whatever reason it was, whether it was another loose woman, or huge amount of money lost to gambling, one night his mother had snapped. She took the kitchen knife and stabbed his father thirteen times.

While holding his glass of milk, four year old Taiga wasn't sure if there were really thirteen stabs because he could only count up to ten. But, he could faintly remember, after he counted ten, there were three more stabs.

It was funny, really. Young Taiga was more concerned by the fact that he wanted to make sure there were indeed thirteen stabs more so than the bloodied body of his old man, so the next morning he asked his mom.

"It wasn't enough... not enough," Was what she told him. Taiga wasn't sure what she meant by that. Did he count wrong?

Miraculously, his father survived for his mother missed any vital organs. He didn't press any charges against her, but he filed a divorce and disappeared for the rest of their lives.

Taiga stayed with his mother despite what happened.

It was not like, he had any other choice.

Outsiders never knew what happened.

The servers in the mansion were paid to keep their mouth shut.

Her mother was still young and beautiful, it didn't take long for other men to gain interest in her. After three years, her mother met someone who held most of her attention and so she remarried.

Taiga called him Hiroto-san at first and then, just dad.

Hiroto was a dad any child could have wished for - caring, sweet, doting, encouraging. He was the _only_ father Taiga acknowledged. Never, not even once, did he make Taiga felt like he was unwanted. He was always there when he needed him.

However, as the bond between Taiga and Hiroto grew stronger each day, the one between Hiroto and his mother slowly became strained.

Kumiko, beyond the enchanting beauty she possessed physically, was a cruel person with a vile personality. Such wicked traits that Taiga had known all too well. She would never ran out of reasons so she could lay a hand on him, inflicting bruises all over his body every single time she felt like it.

_When I asked you to come, you come right away_

_Didn't I tell you not to stay up too late_

_I asked you something so answer me_

_You laugh too loud, shut up_

_Stop crying, it's annoying_

_Stop getting in my way!_

Taiga drastically changed as days went by. He grew up as a sullen young man, shutting everyone out aside from his dad.

Hiroto was there, he remained by his side through all those times he felt like already giving up. Hiroto protected him, defended him, and comforted him. He knew that his dad stayed only because of him and for that he was forever grateful and in debt to him.

Somehow, beyond the harsh treatment he had been receiving from Kumiko, he still felt cherished and loved, and in return, he truly loved and adored his dad.

* * *

It was the day before his eighteenth birthday, he was running outside the mansion to find his present. A soft smile plastered on his face, he could feel the fresh, cold breeze hit his face and gentle winds brushed through his red hair as he thought of certain places he hadn't been to yet.

It had been their little tradition. Every year since he had arrived, Hiroto would always hide his present and Taiga would giddily and patiently search the wide vicinity of their mansion for it. It was moments like that when Taiga felt really alive and free. Even though Taiga already knew what the present was, since he had always received the same item every birthday they had celebrated, he still found that tradition amusing, he still treasured everything his dad had given him.

Too bad though, this time around, Hiroto wasn't able to celebrate Taiga's special day with him. Since it was just the second time he had missed this little festivity, Taiga completely understood the circumstance and had easily forgiven him.

_"I'm sorry son, I have an urgent business trip. Believe me I tried really hard to ask for a little delay but they just wouldn't let me."_

_"Dad, It's okay if it can't be helped. But promise me you'll bring home something nice for my birthday."_

_"Of course I will. But if you're talking about your birthday present, I always think ahead of you sweet pea. I can't believe you thought I'd skip our tradition just because I'm not here for your birthday. Look carefully, I made sure the hiding place was harder than the last."_

True to his dad's word, it took him four hours of searching inside the mansion, in the garden, in the stable, until he decided to look where the sun was already setting and noticed a very tall tree in the middle of the field, just beyond their garden. He looked around first, under the stones and inside the trunk's holes, and when he found nothing, he climbed the tree and finally found a little bird's nest where the familiar red box with a golden ribbon was lying.

Dad's really getting better at this, Taiga blissfully thought. He hurriedly but carefully went down the tree as he held the little box with extra care, too excited to open his birthday present. Taiga knew for sure that his mother would scold him for getting his shoes and clothes filthy and worn out but that's the last thing on his mind right now, the feeling of joy and excitement completely overpowering any of those negative thoughts.

He stood under that tall tree with the widest smile painted on his lips and the small red box resting on his hand, excitement overflowing as though he was about to discover something he hadn't seen before, his fingers softly ghosting over the golden ribbon before he gently pulled it and opened the box.

His expression suddenly changed, the smile on his face now gone.

Indeed, he pulled out something he had never seen nor expected.

A _golden key_ attached to a long chain necklace.

* * *

It was the day of the wake.

Taiga hid himself in the kitchen, away from the prying, cold eyes and hands of people he barely knew, who kept offering them their apologies and empty condolences.

The last thing he wanted was to further associate himself with strangers who never actually cared.

He unknowingly pulled the chain around his neck as he gripped the golden key, a habit he acquired whenever he was lost in thoughts. He was just standing there, pretending he couldn't hear what the helpers in their mansion were whispering to each other as they _attempted_ to busy themselves around the kitchen.

_"Did you hear how he died? Terrible."_

_"A road accident, right? I heard the car brake had malfunctioned. It was dead on arrival."_

_"But, are you sure it was an accident?"_

_"Hey, young master's here. He could hear you."_

_"For all we know, his mom couldn't wait to remarry. We don't even know why Hiroko-sama stayed for so long. He was the only sane person in this household y'know."_

"Shhh! Shut your traps and get back to work! All you do is gossip all day! Bring these to the guests! Out you go, out, out!" 

Taiga recognized that voice very well. He didn't even have to look to know that it was Kagetora-san, their butler. With his brow raised, he shooed the helpers as they hastily grab that trays of drinks and food, and stepped out of the kitchen.

When Kagetora-san turned to look at him, he had a worried expression on his face yet he tried to offer Taiga a sympathetic but genuine smile. Taiga faintly smiled in return, staring at Kagetora-san's left eye, the one without a white medical patch, before he noticed the basket of eggs the old man was carrying.

"Do you mind lending me a hand with these little monsters?"

The butler placed the basket of hard-boiled eggs on top of the table before he patted Taiga's head affectionately. Whenever he would talk to him, Kagetora-san's words were always full of gentleness, kindness and patience.

Taiga nodded willingly, already reaching in to grab one of the so called little monsters.

Pleased, Kagetora-san grinned and went to check the pot of soup the other helpers were neglecting just a while ago.

Taiga mindlessly stared at the egg in his hand, running his thumb across its glossy, white shell, and then he just violently slammed it against the table, his face full of satisfaction as spider cracks spread through the whole egg. Kagetora-san glanced over at his direction to check on what he was doing with all the noise he had heard, however, Taiga was simply rolling the eggs across the table before he removed the shell in smooth, sweeping motions.

A flare caught the butler's attention and he stopped stirring the soup.

"Taiga-sama, where did you get that necklace?"

Taiga continued to do what he was doing but heedlessly reached out to touch the golden key.

"It's Dad's birthday present."

Kagetora-san gave a sad smile at Taiga's response then he turned his attention back to the soup.

"Why? Have you seen this key before? Do you know anything about this key, Kagetora-san?"

Other than his dad, Kagetora-san was a person who Taiga could honestly and comfortably speak with. Also, he felt like he could trust him like how he trusted his dad.

Kagetora-san was quiet for a moment, his back too frigid, like he was too afraid he might say something he should not have. After some time, when he finally turned around to speak, Taiga saw fear evident in his eye.

"That key-"

"Ah! So this is where you've been hiding all this time, Taiga."

Two heads simultaneously turned to see Kagami Kumiko graciously walking in, a fake smile worn on her face. Upon seeing her, Kagetora-san bowed slightly and turned back to his previous task while Kumiko not so subtly clicked her tongue and sneered in return.

Without acknowledging the old man, she went to Taiga and looked down on him. She was actually shorter than him, but today she's wearing her 5 inch stilettos and it gave her an advantage which she would always use to give her son a feeling of inferiority. Moving her hand to drag a scarlet-clawed finger under Taiga's chin, she grabbed it, a harsh gesture to forcefully stare at Taiga's furious eyes. Her sharp nails dug a bit painfully into Taiga's skin, yet he didn't flinch.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you. Where's your bow tie? Put it on and come with me to the parlor. You can't just stay here, sulking all day with servants. It's not proper for a young man such as yourself to associate with this kind of people. Besides, there are guests I want you to meet. Hurry. Come."

Without waiting for her son's response, his mother walked out of the kitchen, hips swaying seductively and a hum gracing her lips. If only looks could kill, her mother would drop dead by now with how his eyes were bored into her back. Only his mother could turn a solemn event such as his late husband's wake into her own social gathering.

"Go on Taiga-sama, you don't want to make her upset. We can always talk after this."

He didn't care though, as a matter of fact, he mockingly laughed a bit. Her mother was always upset at him anyway. He remained in the kitchen, eyes following the movement of a fly until it landed on top of the table. A hard slam could be heard across the room. Taiga deadpanned at the fly against his palm as liquid oozed out of it.

* * *

Taiga was irritatingly fiddling with his hideous bow tie when he stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. He briefly stopped in front of a large window to use the moon's natural lighting, hoping it would ease his frustrations as he kept on pulling and tugging at the freakishly ugly as hell bow tie.

"Here, let me help you with that."

Whipping his head around to stare at the unfamiliar voice, Taiga saw a tall figure approach him. With hands still gripping the tie around his neck, his eyes never left the sharp dark blue eyes of the stranger. Lost in those dark eyes, Taiga took the bouquet of flowers handed to him without thinking. As he snapped out of his little reverie, he made an effort to pull away but while the stranger was almost if not only a bit taller than him, he was also a bit stronger, and his long, tanned fingers reached out towards his neck to help him fix his dilemma.

While Taiga was dressed glumly in all black, just like the rest of the guests that had arrived to the funeral, this man was dressed in a burgundy suit. While his hair was red, the strands sticking in all directions, the man's hair was a deep shade of blue (just like his eyes) expertly pulled away from his face in a way that screamed _wealth, power, suave._ Taking a deep intake of breath, Taiga breathed in a faint scent of the man's cologne and he couldn't help but close his eyes.

It was a delicate yet addictive and _dangerous_ smell.

He really couldn't decide whether he liked it or not.

Like the some of the other guests, or probably almost all of them, he had never seen him before.

But he brought such beautiful flowers.

_A friend of dad's?_

"There you go."

Taiga looked down to check his bow tie, it was tied perfectly. He looked back up and stiffened as he noticed that the man hadn't moved an inch away from his personal space at all. For the second time that night, he was lost in those dark blue eyes as an odd, crooked smile graced the lips of the man intensely staring back at his eyes that were clouded with confusion. Scrutinizing blue eyes trailed down Taiga's whole body, sending chills down his spine, then back up again to meet his own. His palms were now cold and sweaty but he tried his hardest not show how uncomfortable he was.

"So, you've met each other already." His mother emerged out of the Parlor as a servant closed the door behind her.

She was saying a lot of things but really, he couldn't care less, as he only paid attention to few chosen words like _Daiki, trips around the world, just came back from Italy._

"...Daiki?" He uttered out of the blue.

Upon hearing his name out of Taiga's mouth, Daiki broke into a wide, bright smile and zealously reached out to grab his hand.

Daiki's grip was firm, yet warm.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a lot."

Taiga stared down at their entwined hands, analyzing the lighter hue of his skin against the darker tone of the other. He thought they looked great together and hurriedly dismissed the idea just as how fast it had entered his mind. All of a sudden, he felt a thumb swiped over the back of his hand twice.

"Daiki is Hiroto's son. He is your stepbrother."

He almost forgot about his mother, until she spoke from somewhere behind them.

Taiga felt like throwing up.

He immediately pulled away from other's grip, throwing the bouquet of flowers back into Daiki's arms, excusing himself as he mumbled something like _I need to go_ under his breath that only he could very likely hear.

* * *

_Stepbrother?_

_Heard a lot about me?_

_Why was I not informed about any of-_

Taiga felt ill, recalling the way Daiki's eyes wandered all over his body.

* * *

Under the big tree in the middle of the field where he found his birthday present was where Taiga's feet had led him. He was leaning against the huge trunk of the tree with his eyes closed, pushing himself to erase the memories of this stranger his mother had claimed to be his stepbrother.

Not until he heard the sound of thunder and large droplets of water hit his skin had Taiga gotten up and made his way back to the mansion.

Thunder and lighting danced together in the reddish night sky, reminding him of that burgundy suit and a man he shouldn't be thinking about at all. Taiga dragged himself through the mud in his perfectly polished dress shoes and neatly ironed suit. He didn't care hurrying back to the mansion, he took his time even as large drizzles turned to torrent of rain.

Since he wasn't in such a rush despite the current weather condition, Taiga had chosen to take the long path. He went and almost leisurely walk through the garden, the tall muddy gray statues and cleanly trimmed bushes suddenly reminded him of monsters in the middle of the heavy pouring rain. These grotesque creatures didn't terrify him at all for those blurred faces and bodies covered in expensive suits and dashing jewelry, exchanging fake pleasantries and drinking champagne while his father was buried six feet under were far more sickening.

Lost in his own grim thoughts, Taiga almost missed a glint of movement from inside their greenhouse. Taiga stopped and pushed his head between the bushes so he could peer in through the thick glass.

He was completely sure that the man with his back facing Taiga was Kagetora-san, judging by the butler suit, but there was another person inside. Kagetora was blocking the person's face and whole body from Taiga's view and he squinted his eyes some more as he tried to make out a portion of what the other was wearing. Then he saw a touch of burgundy.

_Daiki?_

For two people who were supposed to have never met before, Kagetora-san had been throwing aggressive gestures towards his so called stepbrother. Unfortunately, the glass was too thick, Taiga couldn't hear a word they're saying.

When Taiga thought he couldn't have been more bewildered that very same night, there he was, mind full of questions begging for answers he wasn't even sure he'd get.

A sudden loud clap of thunder startled him, long trace of lightning running across the sky illuminating the dimmed garden behind him. Panic rushed over him when Daiki peered out from over Kagetora-san's shoulder, indicating that someone else was outside, and causing the old man to twist his head enough to check who it was with his uncovered eye filled with worry and alarm.

Knowing that there's no way they didn't recognize him since that light was enough to expose his hiding spot, and that he was too tall for those bushes so he wasn't exactly hidden anyway, Taiga stayed in place, shivering in the cold, until Kagetora-san came out and was running to get him. The old man quickly removed his jacket and threw it over Taiga as he pulled him towards the mansion. While briskly walking with the butler at his side, Taiga's eyes were fixated on his stepbrother, observing him as he gave him a small smile, waving his right hand as he bid farewell before vanishing behind the foliage.

* * *

Even though anyone could hardly tell, Aida Kagetora had once been a handsome man. A face without any wrinkle, soft, kind features, a pleasing personality that had won the hearts of people he had met. But he's not getting any younger and the days were getting shorter. Aside from the visible signs of old age, the patch that he wore day in and day out over the years had flawed his once pleasant features.

One time, out of curiosity, Taiga had seen what laid hidden behind that white patch.

Taiga who had insomnia even as a child, tried to sneak inside Kagetora-san's room while knowing that the man was already asleep.

The white patch lay on the side table.

Young Taiga couldn't take his eyes off that gaping hole where Kagetora-san's right eye had once been.

 _Maybe his right eye will grow back. Maybe the new one's already hiding inside that deep hole._ Questions only a child would come up with.

Absentmindedly, Taiga began to wonder how deep that hole went. Maybe he could sink his fingers inside, and try to find Kagetora-san's other eye so he could see better. Or maybe there were other things he could discover, just hiding in the depths of that dark hole.

* * *

It was with trembling fingers that Taiga found the courage to touch the patch, gently tracing it with his thumb as the butler remained on his knees, drying off Taiga's legs and feet with a clean towel.

"Does it hurt?"

It was an innocent question. The old man looked up. "No, not at all Taiga-sama. Hasn't been for years."

He gently pushed the young man's hand out of the way as he pressed the back of his hand against Taiga's forehead to check his temperature.

"Kumiko-sama was worried sick, looking for you for hours. Where have you been? We couldn't find you anywhere. You shouldn't stay outside with that kind of weather. Good thing nothing bad happened."

That brought a scowl to his face, red eyes now drawn to the window as he watched the water flow against the glass.

It was still raining really hard.

"Don't treat me like a child. I'm already an adult. I can take good care of myself."

The butler snorted at that.

"I bet you can."

There was a moment of silence before Kagetora-san placed his shaky hands on Taiga's knees.

"You've finally met him... your... stepbrother."

Taiga just nodded numbly, still not looking at the butler.

Kagetora-san suddenly cupped his face, his hands were still shaking, too cold.

"Taiga, please heed these words of mine. No matter what happens, _never_ , not even once should you believe and trust anything that Daiki says or does. Do you hear me?"

The old man was looking at him with intense eyes. With his own eyes widening and mouth opening to ask a lot of questions regarding things he actually couldn't understand, the butler shushed him, shaking his head.

"Not now, Taiga. I'm afraid this isn't the right time to tell you _everything_. But you need not worry. Hiroto's gone but I'm still here and I won't let anything happen to you."

Kagetora-san was ruffling his hair affectionately.

"I'll always stay with you. I'll keep you safe, sweet pea."

* * *

That very next day, the day after his dad's wake, Aida Kagetora-the butler of the Kagami household went missing, and never came back.

 _Good riddance,_ Kagami Kumiko had spat, upon hearing the news.

His mother didn't even pretend to sympathize, said she could hire a new butler any day.

The cold-blooded son of a bitch.

Taiga wouldn't be surprised if he found that gun inside his mother's dresser with Kagetora-san's blood still gracing it.

She had never liked him. He even accused him of seducing his late husband, Hiroto. The two men's bond was too intimate in her eyes, it rubbed her the wrong way.

On the other hand, Taiga was a mess, he was beyond devastated.

That was his second loss.

Kagetora-san had been more of a mother figure to him than his own mother had ever been.

The two most important people in his life, just like that, both gone.

Taiga spent the entire day inside his room, sobbing out of control.

* * *

Kagetora-san had been right. It was a bad call to stay that long under heavy pouring rain. Taiga had come down with the worst cold in the world, and was forced to remain inside his room for the rest of the week.

That same week, Daiki started living as another family member inside the mansion.

With a runny nose and puffy red eyes, he watched outside his window as his mother spent her every days with Daiki, probably treating him as the son she had always dreamed of.

It stung a little, but every time, he'd found himself staring at them playing badminton or going out for long drives in Daiki's black Corvette Stingray.

Daiki liked to hang around the garden most of the time though. When he wasn't busy entertaining Kumiko, the older man spent hours outside, under the heat of the sun wearing wife beaters and jeans, irrigating their garden. He wouldn't forget how his mother smiled ever so brightly, very pleased when by the end of the week, the yard was covered with beautiful flowers with bright colors and big blooms.

Taiga couldn't believe at the growing jealousy he knew he shouldn't feel at all.

He hated his mother.

No, he despised her.

But deep inside, he could not help but asked.

_What does he have that I don't?_

* * *

It was a Thursday evening during that hellish week when Taiga was interrupted in the middle of reading some sports magazine by a knock on his door, completely startling him.

"Door's open, come in," he answered in hoarse, sickly voice.

He was yet again stunned to see Daiki walked in, a mug in his right hand as the other hand carefully closed the door behind him.

Taiga put the magazine down as his eyes followed his stepbrother as he set the mug down on his nightstand before he moved to the side of his bed.

"Your highness." The older man playfully bowed before him.

"What do you need?" Taiga asked, irritation evident in the tone he used.

"I made you hot cocoa. Heard you're sick. Maybe this can help a little."

"I hate sweet things." He briefly stared at the cup and back at the magazine he had been reading.

"I know, it's dark chocolate."

Taiga's eyebrows furrowed. "And how did you know that?"

Taiga stiffened as his bed dipped further, signalling that Daiki had sat down beside him, on his bed, their bodies too close for comfort.

"The butler told me."

His breath hitched, Taiga sat up straight and turned his body to him as the magazine had once again been neglected.

"When was the last time you talked to him? Did he mention anything about leaving when you two were talking inside the greenhouse? What the hell's happening? Is he... dead?"

"Taiga calm down, I just asked him what your favorite drink was. That's it. I don't know where he is right now."

Daiki was an attractive man, from his smooth healthy tanned skin, to his beautiful dark blue eyes. But _that_ smile. There was something unsettling with the way Daiki smiled at him and it always sent chills down Taiga's spine.

_No matter what happens, never, not even once should you believe and trust anything that Daiki says or does. Do you hear me?_

"Look, I don't know what your real intentions are but if you think you can just barge your way through our house and into our lives, then let me get this straight, I don't want you and I most certainly don't need you. I don't care if you're my stepbrother and you're dad's blood son. I never knew anything about you before and I don't like to know anything about you at all. To me, you're nothing but a stranger. Just because you got my mother wrapped around your finger, you think you can do the same thing to me, you're dead wrong. Drop your superfluous fake act, it's disgusting."

He had the satisfaction of seeing that smile fell from Daiki's face.

Still, Daiki remained quiet and his intense gaze didn't falter.

Taiga could see something else forming in those dark eyes and then that smile was back again, giving out a more unsettling vibe.

"I see." Was all he finally said.

Taiga broke their eye contact and pointed at the door. "Get out."

Daiki continued to look at him for a while then nodded. He slowly slid off the bed and made his way to the door. As he placed a hand on the doorknob, he paused, turning back to look at Taiga with _those_ eyes.

"What your mother and I have is nothing compared to the relationship that we have. Whether you like it or not, we're bonded and soon enough you'll come to realize that."

Daiki stepped out of the room then a soft click was heard.

Taiga never moved, gripping his magazine until he had torn through the front page with his nails. With wobbly hands, he grabbed the mug laying on his nightstand, it was still warm.

He looked down at the steaming dark liquid.

He closed his eyes, smelled the aroma before he experimentally took a small sip.

_Taiga had never tasted anything more delicious._

The mug loudly smashed against the wall, the dark liquid dripping down, staining his beautifully painted wall.

* * *

The next day, early that morning, Taiga found a white hyacinth lying on the floor just outside his room.

_Sorry._

A single word, scribbled in katakana, on a small paper attached to it.

Taiga picked it up, brutally crumpling the flower and the note in his hand before he threw them away.

* * *

After a week of torture and a few more days of just lazing around and doing nothing special, school break was finally over and Taiga was strong enough to leave the house. He woke up early, put on his uniform, grabbed his bag and proceeded to head downstairs.

"You're leaving early?" He heard his mother's voice from inside the kitchen.

Completely ignoring her, he walked out of the main house as the new butler opened the door for him.

"Take care and have a nice day, Taiga-sama."

His school was not that far away from home and he could go there by foot so an attendant wasn't exactly needed to usher him all the way there.

As he walk to the gate, he felt eyes on him. Reluctantly, he looked back and there he was, standing behind the window, Daiki had probably been watching him the entire time. He didn't even move when he was obviously caught.

Taiga rolled his eyes, quickly turning away to leave.

Unbelievable.

* * *

"Today's activity is a simple exercise about still life art. Everyone, find yourself an easel and bring out all your needed materials so we can get started. This vase of flowers will be you main subject for the entire class period. Good luck."

* * *

Unlike his other classes, well, aside from physical education, Taiga took art class seriously. They said that _a picture paints a thousand words_ and there were a lot of things he couldn't say but could properly convey through art. He solely focused on the current task at hand, his large hand carefully holding the pencil as he made slow yet firm strokes across the white canvas.

His three classmates, on the other hand, were up to no good. Nothing new, really. Hanamiya, Haizaki, and Hara didn't care that they were bothering their classmates and carried on snickering to themselves.

"For fuck's sake, Kuroko-sensei gives the worst activities."

"Shut the hell up Hara, this class is a piece of cake, you idiot."

"Man, he's right. Who cares about this stupid vase of flowers?"

Taiga couldn't entirely focus, they were being to insensitive and loud. He turned around to shoot them with a stern look, hushing them with a finger against his lips. The three looked at one another and stopped for a moment. A few more seconds and they were back at it again, this time they were talking about Taiga without even being the very least subtle.

"Who's that redhead again? Look at the way he holds his pencil. Nice and oh so delicate. Fucking hell. Faggot."

Taiga heard them loud and clear, the grip he had on the pencil getting tighter as he gritted his teeth.

"Careful man, you don't wanna annoy him or he might shut you up with a kiss on the lips."

"HAHA! Dude, seriously? That's gross."

Taiga's grip on the pencil got surprisingly even tighter, digging the point into the paper as he continued to sketch this time with faster, harder strokes.

"Yo boys, check this out. My masterpiece, our queen Taiga-sama!"

"Fuuuuck. I can hear Taiga-sama begging on his knees, _Oh Haizaki, draw me like one of your french_ girls!"

The pencil snapped in half and Taiga was about to stand up only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Boys, unless you want to see the principal early this school period then please refrain from-"

"Kuroko-sensei, c'mon, we ain't doing anything bad to him. We're only having a bit of fun. Right, guys?"

"Geez sensei, you're overprotective."

Kuroko Tetsuya thought they're full of shit. He understood all too well that their families were powerful enough to make them stay, otherwise with their rotten behaviors, they'd be instantly kicked out. It had hurt to think it was unfair, but that's how the system worked in the world they lived in. Unable to say anything more, the bell rung and the three left the room, laughing to themselves.

"Are you okay, Kagami-kun?"

"Yes, Kuroko-sensei. All good."

"Are you sure? Those boys are a bunch of troublemakers. If ever they bother you again, don't hesitate and come talk to me so I could relay the message to the principal and we can settle this by calling their parents and your parents-"

"No need sensei. Really, I'm fine. I can handle this but thanks for worrying."

Taiga gathered his stuff and also left the room. Kuroko sighed and was about to go to his table when something caught his attention, stopping him in his tracks.

It was Taiga's sketch.

The canvas was scarred, probably because of how he strongly dug the pencil in.

Instead of a vase, Taiga had drawn his own face. It was beautifully drawn in a ghastly way. The mouth was wide opened and the eyes were all black and from within those holes, worms, spiders, and other bugs were crawling out, and ugly, bizarre looking flowers had sprouted.


	2. Rising Action

For the first time in such a long time, Taiga had a wonderful dream.

The feeling of someone's arms tightly wrapped around him, long legs entangled into his own.

Whispers of love in his ear, and a warm hand carding through his hair.

He felt safe.

He felt more relaxed and at home than he had for years.

Just before he had to open his eyes, Taiga felt soft, warm lips on his own.

* * *

The scent of flowers woke Taiga up that morning.

Sitting up and rubbing his eye a little, he realized there was a basket of beautifully arranged pink camellias sitting on his nightstand.

He mindlessly brought a finger up to his lips, they still tingled.

* * *

Taiga stomped down the stairs, basket held tightly in his left hand as he strode into the dirty kitchen.

Placing the basket down on the floor, he pried off the top of the garbage bin and grabbed a handful of camellias. Petal by petal, he slowly ripped them out before tossing them into the bin.

With only a few more left, he made sure to snatch them all in his hand in one go when something pricked his fingers making him yelp in pain.

Taiga stared down at his hand and there he saw at the tip of his forefinger, a drop of blood was welling up.

Also, in the middle of the pink camellias was a red rose with its long stem, big leaves, and thick thorns.

He went on and threw away the rest of the camellias and was about to throw the rose away as well but somehow, he couldn't.

His injured hand, quivering as blood dripped from his wounded fingers, holding tightly onto the rose over the bin, blankly staring at it.

Just then, something came over him.

Hadn't he dreamed of something like this before?

Taiga clutched the rose close to his chest, face crumpled as tears welled up in his eyes.

* * *

At dinner that night, Taiga had a hard time eating his meal using his left hand, keeping the injured one hidden beneath the table. He struggled the most with the peas, his hand a bit shaking as he stabbed the peas with his fork and brought it to his mouth.

Kumiko, whether or not she had noticed that something was off, didn't care. After three glasses of wine, without even saying a word, she was off to bed.

Daiki's eyes though had been on him all night.

"I didn't know you're left-handed, Taiga."

"I'm not."

Taiga flicked his eyes to his stepbrother, Daiki was slicing the steak but his eyes were on him.

"Is there something wrong with your hand, then?"

"Nothing's wrong."

Daiki sighed as he stood up and went over to his side of the table.

"Let me see." Daiki extended his right hand towards him while Taiga who was not really in the mood to argue with him groaned but cautiously lay his hand on top of Daiki's palm.

Daiki smiled, his eyes softening.

"The _other_ hand, Taiga." His thumb caressed Taiga's palm before he placed it down Taiga's lap then he delicately took his right hand from under the table.

The bandages covering his fingers were already stained red and Taiga couldn't read Daiki's face at all.

"Wait here." His stepbrother commanded and he wasn't sure why he stayed there and waited.

After quite a while, Daiki came back with a first aid kit. He put it on top of the table, opened it and knelt before Taiga. He then began to carefully and methodically peel off the old bandage in Taiga's hand before he grabbed a fresh roll of bandage from the kit. Taiga hissed a little while Daiki shushed him quietly all the while petting the back of his hand with gentle fingers.

Daiki poured antiseptic onto a clean sterile cloth, looking at him before ever so gently pressing the cloth on his hand.

Taiga hissed again in pain, and he wanted to withdraw his hand so badly but Daiki's grip remained tight, restraining him all along.

"Just a little more..."

His hand felt hot, open, and raw... it was shaking in Daiki's grip. He was on the verge of tears but he told himself over and over not to cry, not in front of him. Never show weakness.

He watched as Daiki skillfully cover his hand in bandage, finishing an intricate knot to secure it firmly. Daiki met his eyes and he let go of the breath he didn't notice he was holding.

He felt strange whenever his stepbrother would look at him like _that_. Like he was trying to tell him something. But what was it? Whenever they're together, he would suddenly feel a dangerous aura surrounding them.

Daiki kept holding his hand as he brought it closer to his lips, placing a light kiss above the bandage, trailing two more kisses on his wrist.

"I won't let you get hurt, little brother, don't worry."

Taiga felt heat rising to his face. What the hell was he doing? He could only watched with stunned eyes as Daiki lifted his head, and drew himself closer and closer to him.

He quickly snapped out of it and pulled his hand away. He abruptly stood up, knocking the chair behind him. He briskly walked away, feeling Daiki's heated gaze never leaving him.

* * *

_Dangerous_ , Taiga thought to himself.

_Daiki was dangerous._

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Walking you to school."

Taiga stopped walking in the front yard, turning around to see Daiki just a few steps behind.

"I'm not a child. You don't have to walk me to school. Get lost."

Daiki raised a brow and tilted his head. "Well, I can drive you to school if you'd like."

Taiga glared at him for even suggesting something like that.

"My friends are waiting for me. If they see you, they'll pester me with countless questions. So _please._ Don't."

Daiki crossed his arms and shrugged. "Fine. I'll just see you when you get back home."

Taiga continued to walk to the gate. He looked back at him when he opened it.

"No goodbye kiss for your big brother?"

Taiga gave him the middle finger as he saw Daiki smirked then he closed the gate.

* * *

Taiga didn't need Daiki.

His dad and Kagetora-san were gone but he felt like he could manage on his own just fine.

Now, he was old enough to face anything. He had to be stronger, tougher and he had to keep pushing forward.

He could make it on his own.

Or that's what he wanted to believe.

'Cause a part of him knew, being alone like this pained him a lot, it could be too difficult to bear.

* * *

When Taiga's last class finally ended and he was about to go home, Daiki was there already waiting for him by the school gates, leaning on his black stingray with a gorgeous smile on his handsome face.

Taiga instantly stopped dead in his track. He could only roll his eyes and shake his head.

His classmates and schoolmates already formed a crowd near Daiki as they stared and pointed their fingers at him unabashedly, some of them whispering and giggling to themselves.

When Daiki finally took notice of him, he jerked his head to his car, turning the crowd's attention directly to him and then back at Daiki and slowly a realization was shown in their faces as they put two and two together.

_Great. This is just great._

Taiga completely ignored him and spun on his heel to the other direction.

 _Seems like a perfect day to take the_ _bus_.

* * *

Wrong.

Taking the bus was the worst idea ever.

Taiga sank further to his seat miserably, trying his best not to look outside the window where a black corvette stingray could be seen speeding next to the bus in the opposite lane.

The female occupants of the bus, some of them his schoolmates, were all squealing, faces pressed up against the window glass like idiots as they watched Daiki keep up with the bus. Every now and then, he'd swerved up just a bit closer to offer them a confident smirk and a small wave.

The screams inside the bus pierced through Taiga's ears as he brought both his hands to cover them, biting his lower lip, almost drawing blood and he chanted over and over, _Someone make me disappear._

* * *

"You sneaky liar."

Taiga glanced over at Daiki from where the man was still in his car, patiently driving at a snail's speed as to keep up with Taiga's moderate pace. Taiga had gotten off just two blocks away as he couldn't handle the overwhelming enthusiasm inside the bus caused by his stepbrother. He silently prayed that he'd just leave him alone but look at him, he looked like an idiot as he tried to match Taiga's intentional unhurried strides.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't walk with your friends on your way to school."

Taiga came to an abrupt halt, and Daiki pushed the brake instantaneously.

"And so? Were you following me?"

Once again, Daiki kept his mouth shut but that smile and the little wink he had thrown at him was enough answer that yes, Daiki was starting to really freak him out. Why couldn't the man just let him be? Said man slid across the passenger seat, popping the door open and lightly pulling Taiga's uninjured hand inside.

"Come, I'll drive you back to the house. It's getting late."

Daiki smoothly slid back to the driver seat as he led Taiga to the passenger's side by slowly tugging him inside. Taiga was a bit dazed because of the sudden heat caused by another contact with his stepbrother that he just let him do whatever he wished. He unknowingly closed the door and Daiki's foot was already on the pedal, the car now slowly moving, when Kagetora-san's words popped into his mind. He shook his head to clear his mind and promptly opened the passenger's door.

"What the fu- Taiga! The hell you're doing?"

"Stop the car."

"Huh?"

"Stop it right now!"

Sensing the Daiki didn't plan on stopping at all, he took a deep breath and bent outside a little to check if he could make it out alive if he jumped out of a moving vehicle.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't even think about doing it, you fool!"

The car finally came into a halt and Taiga quickly stepped out of it.

"Taiga, that was dangerous!"

Daiki looked absolutely flustered and that was the first time he had seen him like that.

He forced himself to think that he really didn't care.

With a scowl painted on his face, he slammed the door shut and walked away.

_There are things far more dangerous._

* * *

Two knocks on the door and a click of tongue, Taiga went on sketching as if he heard nothing. He's done with his stepbrother's antics for the day.

"Taiga? Are you there?"

Taiga blinked in surprise at the voice he hadn't heard before.

"Can I come in?"

He got up to his feet and sauntered his way to the door, slowly pulling it and peeking a bit warily to see who was standing right outside his room.

It was a beautiful man with blonde hair. Anyone could see that this man was old enough to be his father and yet his charm and attractiveness meant that he aged quite well. Taiga fully opened the door to welcome the stranger, and he was rewarded by an earnest wide smile that he couldn't help but return, a small, shy smile of his own.

"My goodness, you've grown so much! The last time I've seen you, you were only this small. And I think that was... Hmmm... ten years ago?"

"I'm sorry I don't... Who are-"

"Oh! Taigacchi doesn't remember me anymore? That makes me a little sad but seeing as you were so young back then-"

"If it isn't Ryouta oji-san. Fancy seeing you here."

The blonde man who was called Ryouta looked behind him, the smile on his face faltering replaced by uneasiness that Taiga couldn't helped but question. Taiga followed his line of sight and true to that baritone voice he just heard, it was Daiki standing in the hallway with a hand in his pocket, his face unreadable.

"D-Daiki, what are you- I mean, I thought you're-" Ryouta couldn't even hide the slight tremble in his voice.

"-busy traveling the world? Thought I'd take a break. It could get tiring y'know." Daiki cut him off smoothly, smiling and eyes glued to Taiga which Ryouta wouldn't have noticed because his eyes were nervously looking elsewhere but Daiki.

"Does mother know you're here?"

"Mother? Ah. Kumiko, no I haven't greeted her yet."

"Hmm. I'll take you to her. Please excuse us, Taiga."

And with that they both left. Taiga regarded his stepbrother's exchange with his uncle, possibly Hiroto's brother or cousin, with more curiosity budding inside his head.

* * *

Dinner was tense that night, as if a foreboding was about to take place.

The irritating noise of screeching silverware against porcelain plate was the only thing Taiga could hear in the otherwise silent dining room. He wanted out of the place right away but he knew that he couldn't go to bed before his mother and by doing so would result to something ugly.

Taiga looked up between bites to steal a glance at his mother stabbing the steak, savagely cutting through the red meat as blood oozes out of it, her face twisted in grim and annoyance.

Occasionally, Ryouta would try to lighten up the mood by attempting to start small talks with his mother, only to be shot down when his mother would either coldly look at him and didn't respond, or would make derisive comments that ended conversations before they had even started.

Taiga felt so bad for his so called uncle, he looked extremely uneasy, clearing his throat anxiously every now and then while hardly taking a bite of his food. He wanted to help him out of his misery but he didn't know what to say to the man, he hardly knew him. He had seen him stealing glances at Daiki, like he wanted to say something, only to turn the other way whenever Daiki would caught him.

Ryouta, after so many failed attempts finally coughed rather loudly, enough to draw the attention of the entire room, addressed Daiki.

"So Daiki, it's been a while. I heard... you've been traveling the world?"

Daiki gave a forced smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, allowing Kumiko to answer for him as he elegantly took a long, sip of water.

"Daiki loves traveling. He's been doing it for years. It has become his passion. Based on all the stories he has been telling me, of course. It's pretty strange you don't keep up with your own _family_. By the way, your brother just died, where were you?" She sneered, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"Uh, I was-"

"Daiki! Tell them about your trip to Africa. Your stories about the natives and how you learned to live and mingle with them," Taiga's mother eagerly added, intentionally cutting Ryouta off. She didn't need to hear his pointless explanation. Taiga tried too hard to hide the disgust he felt, his mother was being unbelievably ridiculous.

"It was indeed memorable. I had the pleasure of spending some time with an African tribe, kind of shocked they let me stay in their village. They're very welcoming and they taught me a lot of the things I'd probably never learn elsewhere. It was such an interesting experience."

"That's amazing Daiki. What tribe? What part of Africa?" Ryouta concurred, suddenly his eyes bright and filled with interest.

Daiki's eyes were on his plate but Taiga noticed how they narrowed just a bit. "The Swazi Tribe in South Africa. I was actually on a hunting trip but I got separated from my pack and I couldn't contact my friend-"

"Hmm, you went with _a friend_?"

"Yes, _a friend_ Ryouta oji-san. His name's Lukas. I met him during my previous trip to Frankfurt."

"That's nice. Meeting new people. Is he German? Did he teach you the language?"

Taiga was aware that a heavy atmosphere had risen. There's something in Ryouta's voice that suggested he couldn't believe what Daiki was saying, that Daiki was _lying_. He sensed that Daiki knew what that tone was implying as well for he was tightly gripping the napkin resting on the top of the table.

Taiga flinched when his mother slammed her hand on the table. "Enough! Are you doing this on purpose, huh, Ryouta?"

Ryouta shook his head. "No. Not at all. Actually, I think we have to talk, Kumiko. In private."

"There's nothing to talk about. It was _nice_ seeing you. Now, you can go. And I don't want to see your face again, _ever._ " She spat with venom in her voice before she took her leave.

Ryouta had his head bowed down, looking visibly hurt and Taiga unconsciously tried to reach out and tell him that he could stay the night but Daiki beat him to it.

"I can send you on your way, Ryouta oji-san."

"I'm fine."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?" Daiki asked just as the butler opened the front door.

"I already called a cab."

Taiga couldn't find it in him to do something about the matter. He felt like if he did, something more terrible would happen. He didn't want to upset his uncle even further. He seemed like a really nice guy and it was a shame they couldn't spend more time to get to know each other, he thought they'd get along so well.

"If you say so," Daiki simply said as the cab arrived. He quietly picked up the luggage of his uncle and went to open the cab's trunk. Ryouta didn't waste the opportunity to turn over to Taiga and hugged him.

" _Call this number as soon as you can. There are important things that you must know._ " Ryouta whispered to him as he felt him slip a small piece of paper in his hand.

"Ryouta oji-san?" Daiki's voice called and Ryouta paled. _That_ look, Taiga had seen that look before. Inside the greenhouse, in Kagetora-san's eyes...

"Taiga, it was good to see you, if only for a little while. I hope we can meet again." He loudly declared enough for Daiki to hear. Ryouta playfully tousled Taiga's hair and turned on his heels only to bump into Daiki, his nephew staring him down. "Please, take care on your way."

Taiga, sensing that Daiki's making him feel uncomfortable tried to cut the growing tension between the two men.

"I hope to see you again soon, Ryouta-san!" Ryouta glanced over at Taiga, offering him a sad smile.

Ryouta climbed into the cab, his mind filled with stuff, a bit of regret and some missed opportunities but hopefully he could still talk to Taiga. He _needed_ to talk to him, away from their eyes.

He was ready to pull the door close when he felt a strong force pulling it open.

It was Daiki.

"Can please you let us know which hotel you'll be staying? In case, _something_ happens."

"Villa Fontaine."

Daiki smiled, sweet and bright.

Ryouta felt sick.

"Got it. Have a good night, Oji-san."

The cab door finally slammed shut and Ryouta released the breath he didn't notice he's been holding all this time. His nephew was truly something else. He had to make his move before it's too late.

It wasn't until they were completely out of sight that Ryouta turned to the cab driver with urgency.

"Excuse me but I've changed my mind."

* * *

"How about a glass of wine with your brother, Taiga?"

Taiga paused, right foot already on the first step of the stairs. Head turned a bit to the side enough to see Daiki holding two glasses of red wine.

"I don't drink, Daiki."

"Come on, a little taste won't hurt. I won't tell."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I _am_ your brother. And I want to spend time with you." Daiki laughed as he walked to the study without checking if Taiga would follow him.

Because Taiga would.

And Taiga did.

* * *

The two of them sat on opposite sides of the study table, Taiga, dressed in all black, exuding sorrow, solitary, while Daiki was dressed in white dress shirt and gray pants, handsome, statuesque.

Daiki slowly slid the glass of wine towards Taiga as if sliding him a loaded gun.

Taiga inspected it, tentatively watching the red liquid slosh around the glass at the movement. He looked back up at his stepbrother, the other staring back at him with challenging eyes. The older man leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands, smiling at him with eyes that crinkled, waiting for his next move.

"Go on. It isn't poisoned, Taiga. _You know_ I won't do that to you."

But Taiga was still hesitant, again, staring down at the wine full of uncertainty.

"Switch drinks with me."

Daiki chuckled, deep, but bubbly like that of a kid. If that was even possible.

"Taiga, Taiga... This isn't like the movies. I'm sure as hell you're not Snow White. Do I look like a witch to you?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Actually, don't."

Taiga looked disappointed and unimpressed, and Daiki burst out laughing, shaking his head. Nevertheless, he did exactly what Taiga asked (commanded) of him and switched their drinks.

"Happy?"

"Not really."

"Oh, well. Cheers, little brother."

With that Daiki took a sip from the glass that was supposedly Taiga's.

Maybe he's falling directly into his traps.

Slowly.

Little by little.

They've been together for a month.

True, Daiki felt strange at times.

But Daiki was just a man.

_What is there to be afraid of?_

He snatched up the glass, quaffed it all at once, head thrown back a little as the red liquid trailed down his throat.

Taiga thought he heard Daiki groan.

* * *

_"What is it that you want from me?"_

_"I just want us to get along."_

_"Why?"_

_"I don't want you to be alone."_

_"And?"_

_"I also don't want to be alone, I guess."_

_"Is that your only reason?"_

* * *

That night, Taiga was alone in his room carefully stitching the beaded eyes of a panther rag doll.

The doll reminded him of Daiki. Vicious, wild,

adorable-

_Adorable?!_

What. The. Fuck.

Quickly dismissing that absurd thought, he focused solely on his task at hand. He cautiously slid the needle under that dark skin, poking it back out and pulling the thread taut, repeating the same process again.

_"Make sure you pull it tight enough, Taiga, okay? If you don't, it'll fall off and you wouldn't want your precious panther with only one eye, right?"_

Taiga smiled at the memory of his late father. His dad had paid extra attention to Taiga when he had taught him the art of hunting and taxidermy. He was only sixteen back then. Their house, specially that one special room, was filled with his precious possessions-squirrels, rabbits, tiny foxes, all mounted on the wall, adorned on mantels.

Even though Hiroto had been quite adamant about it at first, Taiga had grown to love the craft.

But now his dad's gone and he had never gone hunting without him.

So for the mean time, until he had enough courage to go by himself, sewing replacement dolls will suffice.

Hiroto always made sure that Taiga was busy doing something, anything with his hands, lest he began to feel a little _restless_.

_"Whenever you feel a sudden urge to do something but you can't think of anything, tell me right away. We'll go out in the woods. Make sure you let me know. Alright, son?"_

Taiga hadn't felt restlessness take over him for years - not until he had seen his stepbrother for the first time.

Like he wanted, _needed_ to do something.

But what?

 _Oh, Daiki knows how to_ _hunt_...

His hand suddenly slipped and he dropped the needle, clutching his injured hand. It still throbbed painfully, as so was his head.

Suddenly, Taiga took notice of the heat building inside his entire body, and his vision had began to spin.

He needed something to cool himself down.

* * *

Taiga had checked the fridge in the kitchen first but it's out of ice.

He knew that there was a chest freezer kept in the basement. He wasn't sure if it's still working or if it had any ice but he decided he'd at least try.

So there he was, uninjured hand firmly planted against the wall as he took a long trek down into their basement without an ounce of hesitation.

He wasn't afraid of the dark.

He wasn't afraid of things he couldn't see.

Reaching the last step, he took a few more before he blindly searched for the doorknob in the middle of the darkness.

The door was then pulled open with a loud creak, breaking the deafening silence.

Lifting the same uninjured arm, his wandering fingers began to look for the chain hanging from the ceiling.

Once he had found it, he pulled enough for the light to flicker on.

Taiga didn't waste time. He approached the chest freezer feeling more dizzy and really hot. It was dusty yet he noted _that_ certain place where a strangely empty void of dust was evident. He didn't think much of it, it was probably the servants.

Sliding his fingers under the latch, he mustered all his remaining strength and pulled up.

The chest freezer unstuck itself, lid flapping in the dusty air.

The single source of light was swaying side to side as Taiga squinted inside the freezer, trying to make out its contents. Focusing on that lump at the corner, Taiga reached for it, hoping it was a bag of ice he sorely needed.

He frowned, it seemed like it was stuck.

He pulled extra harder and stumbled a little when he succeeded on extracting it.

_Why did he have a feeling it wasn't what he was looking for?_

He opened the plastic to nervously peek inside.

Taiga sucked in a deep breath, red eyes dilating in alarm at the decapitated human head.

_Its one eye looking straight at him._

Taiga felt his eyes roll back up his head before he fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

* * *

Ryouta sat nervously on the old, dirty mattress of a Motel he hardly remember the name.

The TV had been playing a very cheesy soap opera for two hours now but he couldn't bring himself to turn it off.

Taiga hadn't called him yet and he felt anxious.

He walked up to the window for the fortieth time that night, poking a finger through the dusty blind, lifting a section up just enough to check what's going on outside.

It was silent and dark.

He took a deep breath to try and calm himself but there's no way he'd calm down.

Uncharacteristically rubbing his hands on his face, he didn't know what he should do.

He felt like going insane.

Was it safe to just let it all go and head home?

But he should try.

He knew how much Hiroto loved Taiga.

And he loved his brother just as much in spite of unfortunate things that had happened before.

And probably because guilt was slowly consuming him.

He had to at least tell him everything he had to know and to ask him what was going on in that mansion.

And if something was indeed wrong, and if he was willing, he'd take Taiga with him.

_He must call Taiga._

Moving to the chair where his coat rested, he searched its pockets for his cellphone.

Nothing.

Then, he turned to his suitcase, emptying everything onto the floor, digging through the scattered things but he still couldn't find it.

His mind was all over the place ever since he had set foot in that mansion, maybe he misplaced it somewhere there.

He'll just have to try and ask the front desk, or maybe that phone booth across the street would do.

* * *

The front desk was empty when he went down.

He waited for quite some time but it looked like no one's really coming.

With a heavy sigh, he had no other choice but to check the phone booth if it still worked.

Once he got inside the booth, he dug inside his pockets with shaky fingers to grab some coins and hurriedly dialed the number of the Kagami Household.

 _Taiga, please pick up. Or anyone. Anyone but_ _them_ , Ryouta desperately thought.

After several rings, no one was still picking up. Ryouta checked his watch, it wasn't that late, where were they?

Feeling defeated, he decided to just hung up.

While thinking real hard on what he'd do next, his eyes caught a glimpse of his motel room.

_The lights were off. He didn't remember ever turning them off before he went out._

He felt something amiss about the situation.

Perhaps he should try calling his cellphone. There's a huge possibility that he left it inside the mansion.

Hearing that first ring on the other end of the line somehow gave him hope.

 _Ring, ring, ring,_ it wasn't until the seventh ring when someone finally picked up.

_"Hello, Taiga?"_

_There was only silence on the other end._

_"Is this Kumiko?"_

_"...It's me Ryouta oji-san. You left your phone on the dining table."_

He didn't need to turn around to see that someone was behind him.

Ryouta dropped the phone as Daiki opened the door to the phone booth, Ryouta's cellphone held against his ear.

"You're such a bad liar dear uncle. You really gave me a hard time finding you. There's no Kise Ryouta at Villa Fontaine they said. I even had to call the cab company to know where exactly you are. Bad. Bad, bad uncle."

Ryouta stepped back as much as he could but there was little space in that small phone booth. He didn't even care that the machine was painfully digging into his back.

"You always lie to me. Even when I was just a kid. Pretending to be a sweet, charming uncle but the truth is... you actually hate me, don't you?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Ryouta couldn't find it in him to talk. It's just that, nothing he would say could alter his fate.

"Don't worry. _I don't like you either._ "

His eyes almost lifeless, too dark, stared down at Ryouta. Fingers now harshly gripping his uncle's blonde hair, pushing him down to kneel on the ground.

"You could've easily avoided this. I don't wanna do this, really. I mean, we're family. _But you just couldn't stay away, fuck!_ "

Ryouta had seen Daiki like this before. He had seen it with his own eyes and yet to actually see him like _this_ , this close... was an absolute nightmare.

"I won't let you, or anyone, take him away from me. Not anymore."

Then there were tears in Daiki's eyes and Ryouta felt a hard tug against his head before he blacked out.

* * *

When Taiga woke up with a startled scream, sweat dripping down the side of his face, it was morning.

A beautiful basket of bluebells on the foot of his bed was begging for attention.

* * *

Taiga was flying down the stairs, running past the main hall to reach the staircase down to the basement. This time, he wasn't extra careful.

He faintly heard Daiki's voice from the hallway, calling after him and he's possibly chasing after him now.

He didn't pay him any attention.

He had to know if it was real.

He had to see it again.

_It is there. I saw it with my own eyes!_

He didn't even bother pulling the lights on, he blindly padded his way through the darkness and pulled open the chest freezer, it was empty.

He turned to open the lights, but he couldn't still find it anywhere.

 _He_ was gone.

* * *

"But... But he was here. I saw him! HE WAS HERE!"

Taiga was screaming when Daiki found him, pushing and tossing things everywhere.

"Taiga! Hey, hey. Calm down, will you?"

"Where is it? _Where the fuck is it?!_ "

"What? What are you looking for?"

But Taiga wasn't listening to him. He continued to scatter stuff as far as throwing glasses on the floor.

"Shit! Taiga, stop!"

Daiki had to forcefully pull him at himself, hugging him tightly against his body as the other tried to struggle free.

"He was here, Daiki! I'm sure of it. I saw his- him with my own eyes!" Taiga shouted, eyes darted across the room.

"Who?" Daiki cooed, pulling strands of Taiga's sweat-soaked hair away back from his forehead.

"Kagetora-san!"

He was a sobbing mess, body now limp as his stepbrother supported him, gently rubbing his back and rocking them.

"I saw him. His head was... He was..."

Taiga felt lips touched his forehead and he felt worse because it felt sickeningly nice.

_"You were dreaming, Taiga. It was only a bad dream."_


End file.
